countless_worldsfandomcom-20200214-history
Earth 93
On this earth, all myths appear to have some basis in reality. Magic lurks in the shadows of modern reality. Magical societies and creatures were hidden from society for several hundred years, but now many seek to take control. History The Age of the Gods For countless years, the gods ruled over the Earth. They allowed Mortal rulers to rule directly but almost all were truly subject to one Patheon or another. The Great Shadow Wars The Shadow wars were the conflict that ended the age of complete control by the gods. Afterwards, the gods still had great influence, but could rarely rule directly. They began with the human invention of iron, the starbane. Iron is an artificial metal and it is what kills stars. Magic Natural Magic Many creature can practice magic based purely on instinct. Dwarves can enhance the crafting of metal and stone. Elves can practice minor works of magic just by singing. Learned Magic Ancient humans discovered that anyone could practice magic with enough study. It required extenisive study, not just of the magic itself, but all other aspects of the world. While very difficult to learn, this magic is extremely versatile and useful. It is only limited by the users study and creativity. The Arcane Parley Background After the last great shadow war the magical and mundane powers of the world met in the ruined city of Carthage and wrote the Great Parley, which established rules regarding the way magical entities and powerful Mortals should interact. Provisions It set up a caste system for its signatories and set rules for duels and treaties. All members agree to shun anyone who breaks a treaty of the Parley, or breaks the laws of the Parley. Different ranks have different rights under the accords. Rankings The Parley set up a ranking system for its members. At the top were Scriptors, those who directly signed the Parley on behalf of their realms. This included high gods and emperors. In rare cases the Scriptor could be a group, corporation, or a legal document (like the Roman Senate for Rome, and the American constitution for the United States). No one can become a new Scriptor unless they are recognized by all current Scriptors or if they can sue for status as a Scritor from a previous source. Next were subscriptors. Those who commanded realms and could hand down authority to the people of their realms, but relied on Scriptors to be recognized under the Parley. This included Kings, Ministers, and other powerful individuals. While subscriptors technically derive authority from their scriptors, in practice they cannot be removed from the Parley by their Scriptors except in extreme cases. After that there is nobility. This can be powerful corporate leaders, literal barons and dukes, or elected officials. Then there are retainers, tradesmen and warriors sword in service to Scriptors, subscriptors, or nobles. Some retainers and nobles are Knights, they technically have only their own rank, but when on missions they act as if they had the authority of the people they are sworn to. This includes both literal knights and Navy Seals. The last rank is subjects, those who are subject to the Signatories of the Arcane Parley. They might not even be aware of the Arcane Parley. However, there are also outsiders. These can be killed by Parley members without repercussions. Current Scriptors * The Holy See(Derived from the Throne of Jupiter), The British Crown, The United States Constitution, The Russian Emperor (Claim to be third Caesar), The Chinese Communist Leader (Derived from Great Khan through Kublai Khann), The The Caliphate (Currently claimed by both Iran and Saudi Arabia), The Council of the Wise, The Seelie Court, The Unseelie Court, Temptation Incorporated, Google, The Court of Ra, The Buddha, and The Security Council. Races The Mortal Races * Humans - The most common of the Mortal races and the only one which is not entirely magic sensitive. Humans can only sense magic if they are trained to do so. Before the widespread use of iron, humans were widely seen as simple worship fodder by the gods. Before the Industrial Revolution, they were seen as simple minded subjects by the other races. * Dwarves - Dwarves are said to have hidden underground in the mists of time where they adapted to the darkness and depth. To fit in tunnels they became shorter and stockier. They learned to ecolocate like bats or dolphins. Their hands are strong but very dexterous. Their sense of touch is much better than humans. Their average natural lifespan is 4-5 times longer to humans, but they usually die before then do to feats of daring and danger. ** The CIA, in flagrant violation of long established, (albeit somewhat racist) policies against supplying dwarves with wands, has been selling them black market ones, in the hopes of overthrowing the Elder Conclave (so they can be replaced by a more American equivalent). * Elves - Evolved to be like humans except with access to magic. They are taller, longer lived, faster, and better at magic. Some Elves tend to hold themselves as morally as well as physically superior to humans, but history has shown them to be as fallible as humans, if not more so. They have more weaknesses than they admit. They are slightly less strong then humans, but their most significant weakness is their lower pain tolerance. Their average lifespan is 4-5 times longer than humans. * Pixies - Flying humanoids. The smallest is little bigger than a dragon fly. The biggest is about the size of a small child. They glow with a light that accelerates healing in other species. * Wizards- humans, dwarves, or elves with the ability to do Learned Magic, which gives them enhanced lifespan as well as a slight healing factor. Only the most powerful and learned magicians are considered Wizards. * Monsters- a variety of creatures that prey on normals in the night, including: ** Vampires- Shapeshifters who feed on human blood. They can transform themselves into really pretty people or bats, if they so choose, and their stare can hypnotize people into doing their bidding. ** Zombies- corpses animated to do the bidding of the truly evil: Necromancers (wizards who bring things back from the dead). Animating a Zombie is a cruel act, separating the soul of the corpse from reality. Zombies do actually contain part of the spirit of the person whose body it once was, but they lack free will, trapped in their own rotting corpse. ** Ghosts- Souls who, for whatever reason, refuse to move on after death. Often it is the spirit of one who had unfinished business to deal with in their life. ** Demons- beings who rebelled against the Judeo-christian God, and now spend their times trying to control humans in order to get their souls. * Gods- a variety of very powerful figures, who had been worshipped in different eras. * Angels- mystical beings aligned with the Judeo-Christian God, who strive to prevent the machinations of Demons when they try to interfere with free will (which is all the time). * Knights- Humans, Elves, and Dwarves who go on quests to fight the monsters listed above, but especially demons. Many are affiliated with various religious orders, but religiosity is certainly not a requirement. * Faeries- are divided into two courts: Seelie and Unseelie, or Summer and Winter. The Summer (Seelie) court is made up of faeries who tend to be nicer, and the Winter (Unseelie) Court is made up of the meaner faeries. The two courts spend most of their time in a Cold War state of mutually assured aggression and proxy wars, as they are bitter enemies. ** Many dwarves and elves are part of one of the courts. Those who have joined seem to change. They gain power but their personality is slowly but surely altered to align with the philosophy of the courts. They stop being able to lie, for Summer they become more compassionate, for winter they become more agressive. However, Faeries still have distinct and diverse personalities. Not all elves, dwarves or pixies are aligned with one of those two courts. Some strike out on their own, and others join other organizations. ** Humans can also join the court though only if they are below the age of thirteen. Once they join they will grow to become more dwarflike, elflike, or pixielike. ** Sidhe: As Faieries advance in the court and grow in power they change slowly until they become one of the Sidhe. The sidhe are completely ageless and incredibly powerful. They will slowly lose the distinctive features of their original race. They appear to be exceptionally beautiful and strong humans, though given their incredible powers of illusions, some think they use magic to enhance their beauty. Major Organizations * The Circle of the Wise - They evolved from the remains of the Parliament of the Wise, an international organization formed by the magical scientists and scholars who served as advisers around the world, the original Wizards. The Parliament fell apart due to internal fighting but its remains became the government of the Circle, called the Elder Conclave. The Elder Conclave formed the Circle to recognize (and to a limited degree regulate) Wizards around the known world. However, unlike the Parliament, they did not try to be a unified political group. They allow their members to fight. The Council derives its authority under the Parley from the Parliament of the Wise which was one of the early Scriptors. Each Wizard is considered a Noble of the Parley. The lowest is ranked as an earl. Employees of the Circle who are not powerful enough to be considered Wizards, are listed as retainers. ** The Elder Conclave - A self perpetuating oligarchy of the oldest and most powerful Wizards. The Elder Conclave primarily enforces the Edictorum Arcani, the primary laws of magic. They allow the Wizards within the council to oppose one another and sometimes even fight, as long as they don't violate the Edicts or challenge council power. Each Elder of the Conclave is ranked as a Subscriptor with the rank of a Duke. The Elder Conclave as a whole has the rank of a king. They command a group of combat Wizards called the Watchers. ** The Watchers: A group of combat Wizards. They are loyal to the Elder Conclave and enforce the Edicts. Each Wizard is counted as a Knight in service to the Elder Conclave. * The Black Circle- An organization made up of many high-ranking practitioners of Black Magic (including Mind Control, Necromancy, and other such forbidden magics). They started out as a group of activists who wanted to reinstate the Parliament of the Wise. They turned to dark magic to achieve their ends. * The Seelie (Summer) Court- basically a monarchial nation of nicer Faeries. * The Unseelie (Winter) Court- A rival monarchial nation to the Seelie Court, this Court houses many of the more nasty faeries. * The Order of the Cruciform Sword- A massive international network of Knights, who go on quests in the name of the Christian God, with the ultimate Goal of redeeming all who are in the thrall of demons. * Temptation Incorporated- A massive organization of Demons, poorly disguised as an international corporation of perfume sellers.